Sabres staying with Ruff / Regier

[Skooby]

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/sabres/2012/04/report-sabres-staying-with-ruff-regier.html

[YardRat]

Hopefully Roy is packing his bags as we speak.

[Night Train]

Hopefully Roy is packing his bags as we speak. and meeting Sekera & Weber at the airport.

[trapezeus]

good luck finding people who want to come next year. we've let torts and dineen go to other teams. those teams, the last time i checked were in the playoffs.

[SkateZilla]

not a lot of nice comments on that article... lol.

[trapezeus]

i just don't get how black didn't see that the "turnaround" started once ruff broke his ribs.

and they still fell short.
and they weren't supposed to be a team on the cusp of the playoffs. they were supposed to have gotten better. did the 10-11 team not have a single injury? this is absurd that they got a pass. another year without hope. becoming jauronian.

[Mski]

i just don't get how black didn't see that the "turnaround" started once ruff broke his ribs.

and they still fell short.
and they weren't supposed to be a team on the cusp of the playoffs. they were supposed to have gotten better. did the 10-11 team not have a single injury? this is absurd that they got a pass. another year without hope. becoming jauronian.you have to remember, while we, as fans, have been watching this for duo for 10+ years... Pegula and Black have only had 14 months to evaluate them.

[chernobylwraiths]

The only thing I will grudgingly admit, is that they have only had one offseason and one trade deadline with Pegula/Black at the helm to oversee the progress. And while the result of one year wasn't good, they made definite progress in doing things that they hadn't really done, or possibly had the opportunity to do.

Positives since Pegula took over which were not done before:
Trading for Brad Boyes and taking on a 4 million dollar salary with a year left
Trading for and convincing Robin Regehr to come here
adding salary only in that deal by getting Kotalik knowing he wouldn't play here
throwing another 2 million salary in Rochester in Morrison
trading for the rights to Ehrhoff and then signing him
signing a moderately high priced free agent in Leino
trading a well liked veteran for a first round pick at the deadline
trading a top prospect for another top prospect in a position of need

Now, some of these moves didn't pan out in retrospect, but the fact that they were done at all is progress and can give us some optimism.

Now, since we have no alternative, we have to look to the future to see what will be done this offseason. This will be a make or break offseason for the Sabres. Here are my concerns and areas where I hope they look to improve next year:

They need to change the culture of the locker room, and that will only be achieved by some major changes. Make no mistake, the fact that Miller was run against Boston (and actually hit a second time in that same game) with no repercussions shows a huge lack of character. I'm not advocating a return to the "old style hockey", but I DO believe we need a player or players that can scare other teams from taking liberties with our players, especially our goaltender. I loved seeing Foligno in that Toronto game. He finished checks, he dug in corners, he fought and when someone tried pushing Stafford around, he came in to his defense. We need more of that. More players sticking up for each other, and we need to remove some of the ones that don't stick up for anybody.

Besides all of the physical play that they will need to actually go further in the playoffs, they need talent. Watching other hockey games, is like watching a completely different game than what the Sabres play, and that is because we just don't have the offensive talent. Even when the Sabres sustain puck control in the opponent's zone, it seems as if they are barely hanging onto the puck. Their puck control is tenuous at best and their passing sometimes is abysmal. They need a superstar level elite offensive player. Ennis showed flashes at times, Hodgson also showed he sometimes has a knack for keeping the puck, but I don't believe they will ever be the "superstar" that this team so desperately needs. A top level to elite level goalie just isn't enough.

[Mski]

I loved seeing Foligno in that Toronto game. He finished checks, he dug in corners, he fought and when someone tried pushing Stafford around, he came in to his defenseI think Stafford can be that guy as well... he's a big guy, and when he first came up would do the same... then someone took a cheap shot at him, no one came to his defense, and he's turtled since then... but since Foligno came up i noticed Stafford wasnt afraid to get a little "dirty" knowing that someone would have his back.

[trapezeus]

watching leino and boyes play this year, i wouldn't have been against calling up kotalik. could have scored a could OT wins and put us in the playoffs.

[SabreEleven]

watching leino and boyes play this year, i wouldn't have been against calling up kotalik. could have scored a could OT wins and put us in the playoffs.

Kotalik was over in Europe, not Rochester, We was probably under contract over there, Doubt they could have played him this year

[trapezeus]

i meant it as a joke.

[OpIv37]

you have to remember, while we, as fans, have been watching this for duo for 10+ years... Pegula and Black have only had 14 months to evaluate them.

Pegula was an uber-fan before buying the team. He knows what he has just as much as we do.

[rbochan]

A commitment to mediocrity!

[SabreEleven]

i meant it as a joke.

My sarcastic button is broken.

[YardRat]

i just don't get how black didn't see that the "turnaround" started once ruff broke his ribs.

and they still fell short.
and they weren't supposed to be a team on the cusp of the playoffs. they were supposed to have gotten better. did the 10-11 team not have a single injury? this is absurd that they got a pass. another year without hope. becoming jauronian.

Maybe Leopold didn't really "lose an edge" ?

[Nighthawk]

A commitment to mediocrity!

Exactly...couldn't agree more!

[billsfootball1027]

A commitment to mediocrity!

I disagree with your comment. I think Ruff atleast deserves 1 more year. Playoffs or he gets canned.

When your core players for the past 6 years are: Roy, Vanek, Poms, Goose, Staff, Connolly, Miller. No coach couldve done any or much better then Ruff. That core is WEAK and has thankfully already started to be broken up.

Get Ruff a real number 1 center / trade Roy away. See what Ruff can do. The Sabres will have 3 real centers in Hodgson, Ennis, and the number 1 center we trade for.

As for Darcy:

He has done a GREAT job so far with Pegula. Ehrhoffs contract is UNREAL! A 4 million dollar cap hit for a PP QB defensmen. I like it a lot.

Hodgson for the overrated Zach Kassian- Great move. Hodgson will have a much much better career then Kassian will ever have. BTW kassian 4 minutes of ice time last night against the kings. TSN hyped him to be a "great" player and put the canucks over the edge during there cup run. Kassians a joke.

Goose for a 1st- I like that deal

Leino- people hate on leino but i like the way he played. Battled game in and game out. You guys have to remember hes not a center. For the first half of the year Leino centered Gerbe and kaleta. CLEARLY didnt work. Then ruff put leino with roy and poms. He looked a lot better and produced. Dont automatically hate on leino because he didnt get his 50 points.

Regier- I think hes on the down side of his career. I read multiple times "he looks terrible compared to when he played in calagary. But in his defense: A calgary flames legend died this summer, he was moving, had a baby on the way. Maybe next year he ll come in in better shape and be more hockey ready.

Myers- I would have to say: I doubt right now myers is worth 5.5 mil a year. But i could be wrong.....

[Skooby]

Roy makes us worse, he's a cream puff that been in the sun all day.

[G Wolly]

Roy makes us worse, he's a cream puff that been in the sun all day.

You mean a powder puff thats been acting like a drunk fool on Chippewa.

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

I disagree with your comment. I think Ruff atleast deserves 1 more year. Playoffs or he gets canned.

When your core players for the past 6 years are: Roy, Vanek, Poms, Goose, Staff, Connolly, Miller. No coach couldve done any or much better then Ruff. That core is WEAK and has thankfully already started to be broken up.

Get Ruff a real number 1 center / trade Roy away. See what Ruff can do. The Sabres will have 3 real centers in Hodgson, Ennis, and the number 1 center we trade for.

As for Darcy:

He has done a GREAT job so far with Pegula. Ehrhoffs contract is UNREAL! A 4 million dollar cap hit for a PP QB defensmen. I like it a lot.

Hodgson for the overrated Zach Kassian- Great move. Hodgson will have a much much better career then Kassian will ever have. BTW kassian 4 minutes of ice time last night against the kings. TSN hyped him to be a "great" player and put the canucks over the edge during there cup run. Kassians a joke.

Goose for a 1st- I like that deal

Leino- people hate on leino but i like the way he played. Battled game in and game out. You guys have to remember hes not a center. For the first half of the year Leino centered Gerbe and kaleta. CLEARLY didnt work. Then ruff put leino with roy and poms. He looked a lot better and produced. Dont automatically hate on leino because he didnt get his 50 points.

Regier- I think hes on the down side of his career. I read multiple times "he looks terrible compared to when he played in calagary. But in his defense: A calgary flames legend died this summer, he was moving, had a baby on the way. Maybe next year he ll come in in better shape and be more hockey ready.

Myers- I would have to say: I doubt right now myers is worth 5.5 mil a year. But i could be wrong.....

Hey Darcy, quit wasting your time on this board and go figure out how to make the hockey team better.

[G Wolly]

In any other city, Lindy would have been gone years ago.

[rbochan]

In any other city, Lindy would have been gone years ago.

Yep. Unlike many, I don't believe in leaving people in jobs and hoping results magically change after years of proven results that don't meet expectations.

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

If a GM would have won back to back Stanley Cups and then missed the playoffs four out of five years, he would have been canned.

[OpIv37]

If a GM would have won back to back Stanley Cups and then missed the playoffs four out of five years, he would have been canned.

yes, but this is Buffalo: Land of Lowered Expectations.

Most fans accepted mediocrity a long time ago. Make the playoffs 5-6 times every 10 years with maybe one legit Cup run (that doesn't ever end with the actual Cup)? Meh, good enough.

[Skooby]

yes, but this is Buffalo: Land of Lowered Expectations.

Most fans accepted mediocrity a long time ago. Make the playoffs 5-6 times every 10 years with maybe one legit Cup run (that doesn't ever end with the actual Cup)? Meh, good enough.

Give a starving person a cracker, it'll be the best damn cracker they ever had.

[PTI]

In any other city, Lindy would have been gone years ago.

I don't know. I think we have dumb fans. I would like to say in another city he would have quit, but our fans did just about make Mularkey quit. Lindy has a lot of fans still. People clinging to something I just don't understand. Just like taking the same girl to the dance and not getting laid 4 times in a row like the Bills did with Levy and he is beloved by many for running a ship with no real captain while everyone was drinking rum the whole time instead of planning how to capture the other ship's gold.

[G Wolly]

I'm plenty a fan of Lindy.

So is Pegula.

But there's a point where you have to realize that if the guy in charge of on-ice production isn't getting that production out of his guys, something needs to change behind the bench.

[billsfootball1027]

yes, but this is Buffalo: Land of Lowered Expectations.

Most fans accepted mediocrity a long time ago. Make the playoffs 5-6 times every 10 years with maybe one legit Cup run (that doesn't ever end with the actual Cup)? Meh, good enough.

I completely agree with you about fans accepting mediocrity!

Sabres fans love making excuses for why Thomas Vanek disappeared half way through the year.

Then on Vaneks own website he says " I had mutiple injuries and played through it"

People online defend Vanek like his Crosby saying injuries were the problem. You know what ....if the injuries were so bad. He wouldve sat until he was healed up. Hes not the first NHL player to ever play hurt .....

[SabreEleven]

Agreed, Vanek was so injured he was ineffective the whole second half. Why did Ruff have him out there playing? I've lost all confidence in Ruff.